A Promise You Might Not Be Able To Keep
by whitwhit7
Summary: Dimitri is unsure he could ever put Rose in danger by promising to be with her forever. But maybe it's worth the risk.


My breath came and went in short, painful gasps. My hands were held aloft in front of me as I waited for an opening. Finally, I saw one and my leg snapped out to making a satisfying _thunk_ with Dimitri's ribs. In my mind I gave a small fist pump into the air at what I thought was a small victory, but a moment later all I saw was his fist flying towards my face.

I felt no thought process, but as a second nature reaction my arm flew out to deflect the punch from hitting my face. I winced a little at the connection, but decided if it were a choice between my arm or my face bruising, I would choose the arm every day.

His knee snapped out to connect with my outer thigh, but I quickly took advantage of his one leg balance act and dropped to the ground. My leg shot out to sweep his foot out from under him. The sweep was perfectly executed and he fell to the ground with a soft _oomph_, causing all the air to escape from his lungs. Before he was able to regain his breath I was by his side throwing every punch I could and blocking everything he was able to get through.

Just as I was about to throw the punch that would end the spar, he bucked his hips and threw me onto the ground beside him. He straddled my hips and gave me a long steady look. My legs were moving wildly and my hands were throwing fruitless punches, not aiming at anything but hoping they would still find flesh to connect with.

"Rose," he said firmly, trying to grasp my arms. "Rose!" His hands finally found purchase against my wrists and pinned them to the ground above my head. I turned my face to him and stared at a man I wasn't sure I'd ever met.

His expression wasn't that of the caring man I'd known only a month ago. It was the cool calculation of a mentor with no emotional attachment to his student. He'd told me two weeks ago that with the impending war he would be nothing but an instructor to me. But I didn't need an instructor. I needed the Dimitri I'd always known. Strong, intelligent, compassionate.

Lissa was getting more and more self-destructive every day. It didn't matter that she had Adrian with her or that I was able to take away the darkness, because she refused to let it taint me. But sometimes she slipped, and the darkness found me anyway. Now I was just as self-destructive as Lissa.

Tears threatened to spill out of the corners of my eyes and Dimitri unhanded me so that I was able to angrily wipe them away. I tried to sit up, but he was still straddling my waist and refused to budge.

"Rose," he whispered. I could hear the pity in his voice.

"Is that all you can say?" I angrily shouted at him. "I would have figured something more along the lines of, "Way to get your ass kicked,' or, 'Better luck next time, kiddo.'" I pushed against his chest but still he didn't budge.

"What? No verbal Zen lesson on how not to get my ass handed to me next time? Because surely you're just dying to tell me what I did wrong, oh Master Instructor."I gave a bow of my head to show my loyal servitude.

I could see the muscles in his jaw working and almost went ahead with my tirade, but with a look of fire in his eyes his mouth quickly covered mine in a passionate kiss. His tongue dueled with mine until finally we separated, our breathing labored and harsh.

"Do you really think," he asked me, "that I like having to pretend everyday that you aren't the reason I get up every morning? Do you think I like having to remind myself that we'll be in a war soon and that if either of us are distracted something horrible could happen to you? Do you honestly think I'd be able to live with myself?" He stared into me, as if trying to find the answer through my soul.

"Of course I don't think those things!" I absentmindedly wiped the sweat from my forehead. "But how would you feel if the person you loved just watched as you fought off a darkness both you _and_ your best friend had to endure?" My eyes searched, no, _begged_ his for an answer.

"You're right," he told me quietly, his eyes downcast at the thought of causing me so much pain.

"You're kidding?" I asked him. "Me? Rose Hathaway? Right? Oh goodness, we have to get evidence of this for Stan. He'd never believe it."

Dimitri chuckled and pressed his forehead against mine. "It might surprise you just how impressed Stan is with how well you've progressed. Heck, it might surprise you how impressed _everyone_ is with your progression. You're quickly becoming the best of the best." His nose playfully bumped against mine until I looked into his eyes again. He slowly leaned into me, his face getting closer and closer to mine every second.

Our lips found each other again and melted together in a show of love. I don't know how long we laid there. At least until my arms fell asleep from being tucked under me to hold my weight. But I do know that if there was ever a time to steal a promise from him, this would be it.

"Promise me you'll never leave me?" I asked him, my voice filled with uncharacteristic self-doubt.

"I promise," he told me without a hesitation. And I believed him.


End file.
